What to tie up

Now is a time to tie up loose ends. I mentioned this when talking about the fascist coup that the US is currently undergoing, as the elected leadership hands the state to oligarchs. Several people asked me what specifically I mean by "tying up loose ends". I'll clarify.

The reason for my concern and for using what until recently was considered strong or incendiary language like fascism, coup, and oligarchs is that they 1) are accurate and 2) help us understand better what is happening and where this may lead. Much of what the president, a convicted felon, and those he has empowered are doing right now is illegal and criminal. If they are voted out of power, they will be subject to an avalanche of civil and criminal cases that they'd lose if they are fairly adjudicated and can be enforced. For this reason, I think they may not allow fair midterm elections that they would likely lose; this would mean they would stay in power indefinitely. That comes with consequences like lots of sabotage, financial markets reacting to the newly weakened institutions, and violence. Yes there are quite a number of steps in this causal chain, but if they happen, these things would directly affect our lives. Put another way, if a few months ago, there was a 1% chance that in the future, some US citizens would have to flee their homes due to acts by the administration, at this point there is a greater than 1% chance. So now is a good time to game all this out for potential consequences in our own lives.

First and most, if the idea of tying up loose ends or gaming all this out causes anxious feelings or creates paralysis, then don't do it, it's not worth it. On the other hand, most of these things are not a bad idea anyway, and what these oligarchs are doing to our country can be used as an incentive for us to do things in our lives we should be doing anyway. For some people this can be a fun exercise that clarifies thinking; if you can keep this fun and clarifying, great, go for it.

Imagine you had to leave where you live in five minutes with a backpack, no idea when you could return, maybe never. What would you bring? I am not recommending that you should leave a packed suitcase by the door. On the other hand, why not make a list and put it somewhere handy by the front door, say behind the picture hanging there?

Declutter: Clean out the closet, drawers, run a full Marie Kondo, but do it just one drawer or small designated area at a time. Buy and own fewer things and keep those things in their place.

Papers: renewed passports, keep phone numbers and other information printed on paper, find birth and marriage certificates, a few sets of copies of these and other important documents (notarized if you really want to go for it), keep each set together and in a few different places.

Health: Get a check up with full blood work. If you are of a certain age get a shingles vaccine, see if you need your MMR (Measles Mumps Rubella) updated, age appropriate preventative care; mammograms, colonoscopy, etc. Get prescriptions refilled and keep lots of extras on hand. And not a bad time to eat better, add to your exercise routine, and end major and minor addictions.

Money: Get up to date with banking, payments, budgets, portfolios, tax, clean up repeating direct debits, all that stuff.

Personal: Any lingering disputes, particularly family? Good time to extend a hand and put them behind you. Who are the five or so people you feel closest to? Communicate with them enough? Anybody played a role in your life more important than they likely realize? Tell them. Sort through pictures and put them somewhere permanent. Be sure you have recordings of people you care about, particularly older people.

Digital: Good time to assess what you do online, particularly time spent on your phone that you wish you spent otherwise, and platforms or apps you wish you didn't use, now's a good time to, 1) inventory, 2) decide which to add and subtract, 3) do it, 4) download important data and keep on a few micro SD cards with the envelopes of documents.

In general, if there are some little luxuries you like, get a few extra. Necessities? Get lots.

Think of all this as creating freedom and clarity in your life in this newly less stable world we live in. If it feels like you are being a paranoid survivalist conspiracy theorist, then kick back and don't worry about it. But in times of oppression and change, good to nurture our own freedom and independence so we can be more deliberate about our interconnectedness and more focused about what we do to set things right.

###